Complete Results

SOLDIER HOLLOW, Utah (csssaints.com) -- St. Scholastica sophomore skier Sharmila Ahmed (Savage, Minn./Burnsville HS) led a very limited Saints effort at the first day of the 2013 U.S. National Championships on Wednesday, finishing 66th overall in the 1.4km classic sprint qualifier. 

The finish was 27th among junior (19 and under) competitors, qualifying her for the junior field head-to-head heats later in the afternoon.  Teammate Sarah Allen (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS (Northern Michigan)), the only other Saint at the competition, finished 89th overall.

With 12 junior competitors among the top 30 qualifying for the overall heats, Ahmed's best possible finish in the junior field would be 13th if she could win the junior heats outright.  Her quarterfinal performance was impressive, gapping the six-person heat up the two climbs, heading into the major downhill with nearly a four second advantage.  Despite being swallowed up by a train of four on the long, fast downhill, Ahmed powered home to take the quarterfinal.

In the semifinal, Ahmed contended for one of the three spots to get her into the final six A final right down to the wire, but coming up just short at the line to finish fourth.  She was relegated to the B final a few minutes later where she struggled to keep pace and finished 12th among the junior heat competitors, and 24th among all juniors.

"This was a good first step for Sharmila, and Sarah skied really well considering this is her first trip to this competition" said Saints Head Coach Chad Salmela.  "I think we were hoping for a little better results, but Sharmila executed very well today, and she really looked the snappiest I've seen her all year in that quarterfinal," continued Salmela.  "I think we're going to see some good things as the week progresses."

The U.S. National Championships and Junior World Championship Trials continue Friday with a 10km freestyle distance race.